Color the Wolves

The color black symbolizes evil and death. In one old Cherokee legend, a black wolf symbolizes everything that is wrong with mankind. Black wolves have been characterized by mankind as the animal of nightmares. A black wolf takes the role of a villain in many tales and movies. The werewolf in Harry Potter: Prisnor of Azkaban was black as well as the alpha wolf in Twilight who wishes to kill Bella. The commonly portrayed werewolf in the Middle Ages was black. One only has to Google the word "werewolf" and the majority of pictures come up dark and depressing and most of them are at night. The color of night is black. This is when humans are at the disadvantage and when wolves are at the advantage. Wolves can see remarkably well at night. Humans are almost blind. Since this is true, a black wolf is the culmination of two of mankind's unknowns and they are viewed negatively because of this.

The color white symbolizes purity and innocence.* In the same Cherokee legend involving the black wolf, a white wolf symbolizes all of the good things in humanity. A white wolf is never perceived as a big of a threat as a black wolf. This may be because white wolves are easier to see in the night while black wolves can hide among the shadows. Most humans perceive white wolves as being less threatening than black wolves, but the truth is that they are the same wolf, despite color. Unless someone has an animosity towards canines, it is often the majority opinion that white wolf pups are cute, adorable even. White can also symbolize cowardice and fear. Such sayings as "raise the white flag" and "white as a sheet" show this symbolism in our day to day lives.

The color red symbolizes passionate love and also violence. *This yet again points to the similarities of these two emotions. Red wolves are an actual subspecies of wolves that are native to here and North Carolina. Sadly, these wolves went extinct but reintroduction efforts have been made along North Carolina's coast. A red wolf is often associated with blood shed and horrible agony simply because the color of blood is red.* A red wolf is not often used to symbolize love because of the bad reputation of wolves. We see an angry animal with teeth and claws and not an animal that mates for life and will die defending its offspring.

The color blue symbolizes trust, loyalty, and understanding.* Blue is a very natural color. It is in the sky, it is all around us. Believe it or not, there are actually wolves that are "blue." Though this is very uncommon, this coloration is called blue roan and is more common in dogs and horses. Humans perceive the color blue as being soothing and peaceful, but paired with the symbolism of a wolf, it becomes a whole different animal. A blue wolf can symbolize anything from dogged loyalty to the understanding of a friend.

The color purple symbolizes magic, mystery, and royalty.* Purple is a color that is not found commonly in nature. Wolves are not naturally the color purple, but purple wolves may be used in cases of symbolism.* The color purple has the most powerful wavelength on the rainbow, so it makes sense that it is often associated with royalty. A purple wolf may symbolize something of great power or that something great is about to happen. Although, it can also symbolize supernatural happenings such as things like ghosts and spirits. Purple wolves are definitely the most mysterious. This may be because human brains cannot quite comprehend that an animal could be this color because the coloration is so unnatural. Therefore, we automatically associate it with other unknowns of the human brain like power and spirits.*